Sydney Leroux thinks Jurgen Klinsmann was wrong to write off the U.S. before the World Cup

When Jurgen Klinsmann proclaimed that the United States was not going to win the World Cup, most members of the US Men’s National Team — at least publicly — didn’t seem overly offended or bothered by the comment.

Members of the U.S. Women’s National Team, however, felt differently. Sydney Leroux, a forward for the women’s team, said she was “a little upset about the comment.”

“I think as Americans we go in and we want to expect to win,” she said on Wednesday, the night before the team advanced to the second round. “I think we don’t see losing as an option and I think the men are very similar.”

Leroux and other members of the women’s national team have watched the games together or with their National Women’s Soccer League teams depending on their schedules.

Watching the team do better than expected, she said, was the best answer to their coach.

“He came out and said they were no longer the underdogs so I think [Klinsmann] kind of ate his words,” she said.

Leroux said she was also shocked at Klinsmann’s decision to cut Landon Donovan — someone she said she had been friendly with since he sent her an encouraging note after she missed an important penalty kick in the U20 World Cup. “It’s sad and it’s sad that last World Cup was the last time anyone will see him play in the World Cup again,” she said.

Leroux was speaking to USA TODAY Sports as part of an announcement that she would be the latest athlete to partner with BodyArmor, the sports drink that has gathered an impressive list of endorsees including James Harden and Kobe Bryant. Leroux said Bryant personally recruited her to the brand.

She said she watched with amusement as Bryant took aim at Gatorade and Powerade — along with the rest of the brand — during the LeBron James cramping incident during the NBA Finals.

Bryant’s pitch to her, she said, was pretty simple.

“[He told me] that it was a actually good sports drink and he thought that he really wanted me to be a part of it, to be the first female ambassador and that I had to taste it,” she said.

Sydney Leroux thinks Jurgen Klinsmann was wrong to write off the U.S. before the World Cup

The U.S. Women’s National team forward said she was also shocked to see Landon Donovan cut.

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